Maybe I’ve shared this story, maybe I haven’t… I don’t know. I talk a lot, to others, to myself (it can be a problem…) so I’m not sure if I’ve shared this or not.
In July, 2019 I went to the Wanderlust yoga festival in Lake Tahoe, CA.
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!
I purchased the Wanderlust passport, which was year long access to every festival Wanderlust hosted that year. The Lake Tahoe event was one of the main 4 days long events they had planned that year. The pass I had provided access to just about everything and I packed my days FULL.
Future Jes would definitely leave some space for reflection but past Jes was too excited and wanted to do EVERYTHING.
Thursday afternoon, I attended a class held by Ana Forrest and Jose Calarco. I’ve read Ana’s book (Fierce Medicine) and she is INTENSE. At the start of class they had us sit in a meditation. They lit sage and Palo Santo and went around the space with feathers wafting the space – filling it with this sacred smoke. If your eyes weren’t closed they soon would be due to the thick smoke in the room. We sat together inhaling in unison, exhaling in unison. Ana and Jose had drummers that dropped a pretty sick tribal beat. The encouraged us to sway to the beat of our ancestors.
Jose led this part of the practice. He is from the Australian Aborigines Tribe. He had these ancestral sticks that were painted with relics from his tribe that had been handed down for generations. He lead the drummers smacking the sticks together and chanting wisdom from his elders.
I’m not sure how long we stayed in that meditative trance. I’m not even sure it was only Sage and Palo Santo they were burning because before long, with my eyes closed, I had an out of body experience.
I don’t remember opening my eyes but when I “looked” on my shoulders and there were seven figures dancing to this tribal dance. Four individuals on the right side and three individuals on my left side.
Space to reflect right after this experience would have been great because when I thinking about it now only a couple of the faces really stand out. I know at least six of the lives made it into adulthood. At least 4 of the people were elders. One elder was a medicine woman – think of Moana’s grandmother. 2 were dudes. Some of the images are very clear and others are foggy.
Side-note: When I was in elementary school an encyclopedia sales man knocked on my parent’s door. Before the age of the computer this sales man talked my mom into the knowledge held within the encyclopedia’s. Unlike Joey in Friends, my mom bought the entire set. With the set came a natural medicine book and hardbound novels for young adult readers. The natural medicine book was hardbound with a red cover. It was my prized possession, I still have it and refer to it often.
Natural healing hints and tricks are something I’ve ALWAYS gravitated toward. For that reason alone, it was the medicine woman dancing on my shoulder that made me realize ALL the individuals were past life images of me.
Since that festival, I’ve tried to get clearer on my other lives but I haven’t been able to.
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Recently a new yoga studio has opened up in town. It’s a barre based yoga studio called Elevate Barre & Yoga. My bestie works in the building, she got sneak peaks as the construction was underway. We went to the grand opening and it’s BEAUTIFUL. The space is open and modern. With mirrored & white walls, black ceilings it feels very inviting. The studio owner was running an opening day “founders” special on memberships. My bestie and I signed up! We took the first class we could Monday April 7th. Since we’ve been going 3 times a week.
I don’t have a dance background. The closest thing I have to experience is the time in second grade, I was in gymnastics. I remember being on the balance beam, concentrating on walking the beam without falling off. The coach instructed to drag your back foot along the beam to keep your balance. I must have had my tongue out because she made fun of me. Unfortunately, I was forced to quit because my brother couldn’t remember when we had class and my mom couldn’t be in two places at once.
This didn’t deter me from trying barre class.
I knew it wasn’t an actual dance class but name a ballerina position and I will look at you lost because I don’t have ANY knowledge of it.
Growth is found outside of our comfort zones. I am a fan of growth.
The first class was unlike anything I had ever done before. It was strength, yoga, aerobics class and ballerina poses all combined.
I S.T.R.U.G.G.L.E.D.
It is VERY apparent that my desk job has limited my hip flexibility, which barre class shone spotlights on. Actually, total flexibility is in question along with my strength. I know the workout program I created needed some tweaking to get results I’m aiming for but after that class, I don’t feel like I know what I’m doing AT ALL.
My entire being was shaking by the end of class. To keep our spirits high our instructor said that the shakes are where the change happens. I was incredibly shaky. I thought I’d have to crawl out of studio my legs were so weak BUT I felt like a Phoenix.
I am in the midst of a transformation.
During the fourth class, we had one foot on the bar, arms above our heads in the ballerina circle, our standing leg straight then we’d raise to our toes – raising and lowering to the beat. It was during the 10th balancing calf raise when I had an epiphany….
I was NOT a ballerina in a past life.
This is something I am certain of. I’m still unsure about any other than the medicine woman but I know my past lives don’t include ballerina.
I can’t help but wonder if our current life, our current habits or things we test out will follow us to our next life. I may not have been a ballerina but is it possible I’m training to be one for a future life?
IF that IS possible, what habits would you WANT to bring with? What traits/ideas would you leave behind? Would you muster the courage to become a Phoenix and step outside of your comfort zone to try new things?
It’s never too late to start anything.
Namaste,
Jes xoxo
PS – Lesson’s I learned this week…
1. Don’t be tempted to open a sharpie straight out of the dryer, it explodes.
2. The refs treat the Knights like golden boys. It’s only a matter of time before their kingdom falls to our WILD MEN.